Susan K. Lacefield, from DC Velocity, has written a great article highlighting some great tips for improving piece picking. Here is a brief overview of her piece picking tips:

1. Don’t underestimate the value of slotting.
The benefits of proper slotting (the efficient placement of items in a warehouse or DC) might seem obvious—shorter travel times, reduced congestion, better use of space.

2. Reslot early and often.
When it comes to piece picking, one of the most common mistakes companies make is failing to reslot in a timely fashion, says Ken Ruehrdanz of distribution equipment and systems developer Dematic. “As demand for each SKU changes, so do the pick rates and therefore, so should the slotting,” he says.

3. Keep it simple.
With so many picking methods to choose from—multi-order cart picking, pick and pass lines, zone picking, wave picking—how do you decide which is best for you? “I find it useful to begin thinking about the simplest one first,” says Jim Apple, partner with the consultancy The Progress Group, “and then work toward more sophisticated methods as the volume increases.”

4. Don’t be afraid to mix and match technologies.
As for what’s the “best” picking system for your piece picking operation, there’s no simple answer. It’s rare that one technology will be a good fit for all the SKUs in your facility, says Jerry Koch, director of product management at material handling solution provider Intelligrated.

5. Be realistic about your needs.
When choosing a picking system, be realistic about how much accuracy you really need. Although some operations—pharmaceuticals, for instance—may require accuracy rates approaching 100 percent, that’s not true of everyone.

6. Be store friendly.
In the past, companies looking to boost distribution productivity typically focused on streamlining activities inside the DC, says Ruehrdanz. Now, however, some retail leaders are finding there are far bigger gains to be made by streamlining operations at the receiving end.

7. Make sure your hiring practices reflect the new realities of your operation.
If your operation is doing more piece picking than in the past, you should take that into account when you hire new workers.

8. Choose equipment and technology that can grow with you.
All too often, companies fail to look down the road when choosing picking technology or equipment and end up outgrowing the system within a few years, says Intelligrated’s Koch.

9. If you don’t already have one, invest in a robust WMS.
With case or pallet picking, you might be able to get by with a basic warehouse management system (WMS)—or none at all. But that’s a lot harder with a complex piece picking operation.

10. Don’t be a copycat.

Read full article from Susan K. Lacefield at DC Velocity here….

Source: DC Velocity